Wednesday, August 6, 2008

The West Orange Times Endorses Geller

WINTER GARDEN -- The West Orange Times today endorsed Rick Geller for District 1 County Commissioner.

The lead editorial, "Rick Geller is our choice for county commission," discusses the strenghths of all three candidates, but states in part:

"Rick Geller, a business and commercial attorney and effective community activist, clearly has the best credentials for this important job. As the co-founder of the Southern Dr. Phillips Coalition, Geller worked to ensure that commercial development would complement existing residential developments. His efforts helped convince Orange County to purchase land for the Dr. P. Phillips Park to fill a void in county planning. He also worked to fast-track Sand Lake Elementary School's construction to relieve overcrowding at Bay Meadows Elementary. The efforts he has been involved with are too numerous to mention, but they're all in the best interest of the community."

"Geller has demonstrated a passion for the work that needs to be done, and we feel that Rick Geller is the best choice for West Orange County."

"That's a tremendous honor and those are very kind words," Geller said of the endorsement.

The West Orange Times, a weekly newspaper published in Winter Garden, is widely-read throughout District 1. This is a link to the endorsement.

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About this Blog

I converted my old campaign website into this blog. After Commissioner Boyd appointed me to the Orange County Planning and Zoning Board, I decided to use this blog to discuss issues of importance affecting local government, and to expound on ideas for improving our built environment.

At community meeting after community meeting, citizens express outrage and opposition to new development proposals. Citizens appear before the Planning and Zoning Board, fearful that approval will enable another McDonald's with cartoon architecture or another strip shopping center with a massive, half-empty parking lot in front. Attitudes toward our built environment range mostly from dislike to indifference.

The 1960s-era suburban sprawl model causes traffic congestion, traps our children, the disabled, and elderly in subdivisions without transportation, and produces strip commercial development of poor aesthetic quality. We build sidewalks without shade trees despite Florida's oppresive summer heat. We build subdivisions with 60% or more of each house front devoted to a blank garage. Having turned our roadways into highways, our kids can no longer walk to school.

There is a better way. We are fortunate to have real-world models in Central Florida founded on principles of New (and traditional) Urbanism--Baldwin Park, Celebration, Avalon Park, and Winter Park's Park Avenue--for all to experience. However, our zoning codes make walkable communities illegal (without jumping through innmerable hoops).

I am hopeful this blog will help educate about the benefits of form-based zoning reforms enacted in 2010 in Miami and Denver and under consideration in other cities. The new codes, over the course of decades, can change development configurations from suburban sprawl to walkable urbanism. I compiled the links below to provide you with a multitude of sources. I am hopeful you will join me in advocating a better way.

Rick

"The Legality of Form-Based Zoning Codes," Journal of Land Use... (FL State Univ School of Law)

About Rick

I am a partner with Fishback Dominick in Winter Park, a law firm founded in 1935, where I practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation and, on a selective basis, land use law. I taught Land Use Law as an adjunct professor in the Master of Planning in Civic Urbanism program at Rollins College, in Winter Park, Florida for three years. I previously served as an Orange County Planning and Zoning Commissioner, appointed by District 1 Commissioner Scott Boyd. I reside in Winter Park with my wife, Gabriela, and four terrific kids.

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Below you'll find links to interesting blogs and websites relating to transportation, the law, and the built environment. I don't necessarily agree with all positions taken by the blogging authors, but generally find them well-informed and thoughtful.